Living with the Samsung Galaxy Note

Ok, let me be honest from the start. I have owned a Galaxy Note a couple of months ago and decided to sell it. This isn’t an indiction of whether I liked it or not though.

I am notorious for the volume of phones I go through, often the same phone more than once.

So, the first Galaxy Note I liked. I wanted it to replace my tablet and phone, or rather combine them. It doesn’t quite work. The screen is simply too large for phone usage and too small for tablet use, unless of course you want a very small tablet or huge phone. One that a 6’2 man can’t type on or use without both hands for practically ever task. This doesn’t make it a bad product, it simply makes it a niche one. I knew this when I got it and desperately wanted to love it. But the natural in between nature of the device finally got the better of me and I switched back to separate device.s

In the knowledge I did really, really like the phone / tablet concept having really liked the original Dell Streak, even though it was much maligned in the tech press. Something about the Dell Streak worked for me as a phone and media player, leaving the space open for a tablet too! Yet, I digress.

I decided a week ago to give the Note another chance, again at first, it was love at first use. The S Pen (or stylus as most people will call it) works extremely well, does what it says on the tin, if you want to use it. The dedicated apps like diary, note taking and drawing all do what they should and rather well too. It’s best aspect, for me, was the screenshot taking and ability to draw straight on to said screen grab before sharing it via email or social media. It is intuitive and genuinely useful.

The technical specs are up there with the best of the current crop, the screen is drop dead gorgeous. It’s an amazing Android phone.

But.

The size, for me, is just too much. I can not be able to complete basic tasks with one hand. I don’t want to be grabbing my phone with both hands every time I want to use it. It fits in my pocket fine, even with a case… 6’2 remember. That side of its large footprint is fine. I all comes back to the point that I want to slip it out of my pocket with one hand, check some things, with said one hand and put it away again.

That is the deal breaker for me. Everything oozes class, from build, to the dated but still great Gingerbread version of Android. ICS is on its way for those who need ICS or want it.

It’s a real shame. I love the phone, but it’s just outside of the range of everyday usability to me.